Monday: US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 28 Iraqis Wounded

As if the political
deadlock over the premiership did not already stoke sectarian tensions in
Iraq, the Interior Ministry has now ordered the demotions of hundreds of Sunni
police officers. Meanwhile, the violence continues. At least 10 Iraqis were
killed and 28 more were wounded across the country. Meanwhile a U.S.
soldier was killed in a vehicle rollover in Kuwait, and a sniper wounded a U.S. soldier in
Amara.

In a move that will likely destabilize Anbar
province, the Interior Ministry has stripped
hundreds of Sunni police officers of their ranks. The men, who once
fought against al-Qaeda in Awakening Councils (Sahwa), were promised
jobs in the regular security forces as sectarian violence wound down. The Sahwa
councils were a major force behind that reduction in violence. The Interior
Ministry, on the other hand, has been accused of allowing Shi’ite
death squads to infiltrate both the Federal Police
department and smaller police
forces. The demotions also come on the heels of a deadly
raid in which national security forces bypassed local police.

While the men will be allowed to remain as police officers, the demotions could
encourage many of them to quit altogether. Many of the fighters had been associated
with al-Qaeda after the U.S.-led invasion but changed allegiances to join the
Sahwa councils. Unfortunately, many fighters have also gone without pay for
extended amounts of time, and the Iraqi government has been slow to incorporate
other Sahwa fighters into security or civilian work. This latest insult could
encourage many to rejoin
al-Qaeda.